Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes before slowly moving away.

Beachfront property owners braced for the worst amid predictions of a storm surge of up to 4 feet and significant coastal erosion. Powerful waves of 15 to 20 feet are expected to slam beaches, especially in North Carolina, for 48 hours or more as the hurricane crawls northward offshore through at least Thursday.

Local officials issued evacuation orders for parts of the Outer Banks, warning that the storm might wash out roads.

Hurricane Erin is expected to impact the Outer Banks in North Carolina, sending massive waves crashing into the islands.